Disc type throttle stop

Abstract

A disc type throttle stop selectively regulates the power of an internal combustion engine by controlling the flow between an air metering device and the intake valves and presents substantially no restriction to the flow in the full open position of the throttle stop at wide open throttle conditions of the engine.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A throttle stop apparatus for selectively regulating the power of an internal combustion engine of the kind having intake valves and an air-fuel metering device, said throttle stop apparatus comprising, 
       a body that permits the throttle stop apparatus to be mounted in the flow path between the air-fuel metering device and the intake valves of the engine,  
       throttle stop means within the body and moveable between a full open position and at least one flow restricting position for selectively regulating the power of the engine by controlling the flow from the air-fuel metering device to the intake valves,  
       said throttle stop means being constructed to create substantially no restriction to said flow in said full open position at wide open throttle conditions of the engine and  
       wherein the throttle stop means comprise at least a first plate and a second plate, each plate having an opening with a configuration and dimensions sufficient to create substantially no restriction to said flow in said full open position of the throttle stop means, and including actuating means for moving at least one plate relative to another to provide full alignment of said openings in said full open position at wide open throttle conditions of the engine and to provide at least partial restriction to said flow at said flow restricting position of the throttle stop means.  
     
     
       2. The invention defined in claim  1  wherein the power is regulatable by the positioning of the throttle stop means. 
     
     
       3. The invention defined in claim  2  wherein the air-fuel metering device includes carburetor apparatus. 
     
     
       4. The invention defined in claim  2  wherein the air-fuel metering device includes an air flow measurement transducer and fuel injection nozzles. 
     
     
       5. The invention defined in claim  1  wherein the plates are movable laterally with respect to one another. 
     
     
       6. The invention defined in claim  1  wherein the plates are rotatable with respect to one another. 
     
     
       7. The invention defined in claim  1  wherein the actuating means are pneumatically powered. 
     
     
       8. The invention defined in claim  7  including adjustable pneumatic flow limiting means in the pneumatically powered actuating means. 
     
     
       9. The invention defined in claim  8  wherein the throttle stop means are movable between a first, full open position, a second position which produces a certain amount of restriction of said flow from the air-fuel metering device to the intake valves, and a third position in which third position the throttle stop means produce a different restriction to said flow than in said second position. 
     
     
       10. The invention defined in claim  9  wherein the pneumatically powered actuating means include a first actuator connected to open and close the throttle stop means between a first selected pair of said positions and a second actuator connected to open and close the throttle stop means between another, second selected pair of said positions. 
     
     
       11. The invention defined in claim  10  wherein said adjustable pneumatic flow limiting means permit a plurality of distinctive actuation speeds for the first and second actuators. 
     
     
       12. The invention defined in claim  1  including adjustable means for adjusting the setting for said flow restricting position of the throttle stop means. 
     
     
       13. The invention defined in claim  1  including electronic timing means for activating the actuating means. 
     
     
       14. The invention defined in claim  2  wherein the throttle stop means are located below and closely adjacent to the air-fuel metering device. 
     
     
       15. The invention defined in claim  6  wherein the plates are circular flow control discs and wherein each circular flow control disc is rotatable about its center and including a first drive linkage disc and a second slave linkage disc for rotating the respective flow control discs in opposite directions and including linkage bars interconnecting the drive linkage discs and the flow control disc. 
     
     
       16. The invention defined in claim  15  including a first main actuator pneumatic cylinder for rotating the first drive linkage disc and the second slave linkage disc to move the flow control discs between a first wide open position and a second closed position which produces a certain amount of restriction of said flow from the air-fuel metering device to the intake valves. 
     
     
       17. The invention defined in claim  16  including a secondary actuation pneumatic cylinder connectable to the drive linkage disc for rotating the drive linkage disc to a position in which the flow control discs assume a third position in which the flow control discs produce a different restriction to said flow than in said second position. 
     
     
       18. The invention defined in claim  1  wherein the actuating means include an electric motor. 
     
     
       19. The invention defined in claim  1  wherein the actuating means include a stepper motor. 
     
     
       20. The invention defined in claim  1  wherein the actuating means include a solenoid. 
     
     
       21. A method of selectively regulating the power of an internal combustion engine of the kind having intake valves and an air-fuel metering device, said method comprising, 
       mounting a throttle stop apparatus between intake valves and an air-fuel metering device of the engine,  
       said throttle stop apparatus being moveable between a full open position and at least one flow restricting position,  
       regulating the power of the engine by actuating the throttle stop apparatus to a selected position to control the flow from the air-fuel metering device to the intake valves,  
       said throttle stop apparatus being constructed to create substantially no restriction to said flow in said full open position at wide open throttle conditions of the engine  
       and wherein the throttle stop apparatus comprises at least two movable plates which are constructed to have configurations and dimensions which create substantially no restriction to said flow in said full open position and which provide at least partial restriction to said flow at said flow restricting position.  
     
     
       22. The method defined in claim  21  wherein each of the movable plates is a flapper valve mounted for rotation with a rotatable throttle shaft and wherein the throttle shafts and flapper valves are located to the side of said flow and wherein the throttle shafts are actuated to rotate the movable plates into said flow to control said flow from the air-fuel metering device to said intake valves.